451 CO2 & Plant Nutrients [18 Dec 2017]

Irakli Loladze, an American mathematician with an interest in biology, discovered a previously unsuspected effect of rising carbon dioxide levels. As atmospheric CO2 rises, plant growth and carbohydrate (mostly sugars) content increase, while the protein and mineral contents decrease.

It was well known that nutrient content of food crops had dropped significantly in the last 50 years – a USDA study published in 2004 showed changes in nutrient levels of 43 garden crops from 1950 to 1999. But these changes were attributed to breeding of new crop varieties for yield [and taste] rather than nutrient content.

Loladze demonstrated that in addition to crop breeding, rising CO2 levels also played a role in the observed nutrient losses. As CO2 levels rise, photosynthesis speeds up, increasing carbohydrate production at the expense of protein and nutrients like vitamins and minerals. In experiments with cereal grains and potatoes, increased CO2 resulted in reductions in protein, calcium, potassium, zinc and iron. These changes are predicted to put millions of people at risk of dietary deficiencies. There is also concern that the increased sugar content of plant foods will contribute to the rising epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

To eliminate the plant breeding factor, pollen samples from wild goldenrod plants dating back to before the industrial revolution were tested, and found to have declining protein content with rising CO2 levels.

Two large studies were published in 2014 which supported the theory of a rising carbohydrate to minerals ratio. Samuel Myers, a climate researcher at Harvard University, and his team published a study in Nature which showed that protein, iron and zinc dropped in key crops grown in Japan, Australia and the United States. On the same day Loladze published the results of 15 years of data on samples from 130 varieties of plants, showing that minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron were reduced, on average by 8%.

That 8% may not seem significant but it will grow as CO2 levels continue to climb through the rest of this century. It is just one more effect to consider along with all the other effects of climate change. Still, in my opinion, this nutrient loss is overshadowed by the deliberate reduction of nutrients in food processing in order to make our food tastier, more convenient, and cheaper.

Source: The great nutrient collapse, by Helena Bottemiller Evich, The Agenda, www.politico.com, 2017

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.